Actions to prevent eating disorders that parents need to take are critical. This is because most eating disorders are borne out of our children’s desire to have perfect bodies encouraged by the media. Unfortunately, many parents are too busy trying to make ends meet with little time to do parenting. Below are actions to prevent eating disorders that parents can take to help their children build a healthier self-image.
Educate About The Genetic Differences In Body Types
Are your beliefs about your body and the bodies of others influenced by the forces of weightism and sexism? If that is the case, then you as a parent need to educate your children about the genetic basic differences in body types. Along with the nature of ugly bias about body types.
For instance, Africans are genetically different from Europeans. So it would be totally wrong to try and make either a prototype of ‘physical perfection’ or ‘perfect beauty’. This in itself is good breeding for prejudice. Even within the African continent, there is still diversity in physical characteristics. This renders it difficult to provide a specification of what is the acceptable norm.
Don’t Emphasise Beauty And Body Shape
What are your dreams and goals for your children and other loved ones? Are you overemphasizing beauty and body shape, in particular for girls? Therefore try to avoid revealing an attitude that says in effect ‘I will like you more if you lose weight’. Or ‘Don’t eat so much. Or ‘Look more like the slender models in the Ad’. Or ‘Fit into slimmer clothes’. A better approach is to reduce the teasing, criticizing, and blaming. Or comments that denigrate overweight, but adore slenderness.
Learn More, Discuss More
Try to increase your efforts to know more about your sons and daughters and discuss with them. This means telling them about the dangers of trying to alter one’s body shape through dieting. And emphasizing the value of moderate exercising towards fitness and stamina, as a healthier approach. In addition, talk to your children about the importance of eating a variety of foods in well-balanced meals, consumed at least three times a day. But try not to segregate foods into ‘good/low-fat’ vs. ‘bad/fattening’. Finally, you as the parent should be the role model as regards sensible eating, sensible exercise, and self-acceptance.
Focus On The Healthy Objective Of Exercise
It is important to emphasize the healthy objective of exercising. This means making the commitment to exercise for the joy of feeling your body move and function effectively. And not as a punishment to eliminate fat from your body. Or compensate for that enormous lunch eaten at your best friend’s birthday party.
Be Proud Of Your Body
Refuse to wear clothes that are uncomfortable. Or that you dislike simply because they divert attention from your weight or shape. If you like swimming, do not avoid it because you feel you will call attention to your shape and weight. Be proud of your body. Keep in mind the most important fact. The fact is good health.
Concentrate Less On Physical Looks
Try to take people in general and women in particular, seriously for what they say, feel, and do. Concentrate less on physical looks. This means, not for how slender or ‘glamorous’ women appear.
Ignore Media Dictates On Physical Stereotypes
It is important that parents commit to helping their children (both male and female) appreciate and resist the ways in which the media distort the true diversity of human body types. But rather reiterate the fact that a slender body means power, success, excitement, and sexuality.
Encourage Active Play
Encourage your children to be active and to enjoy what their bodies can do and feel. Avoid limiting their calorie intake unless a doctor requests that you do this for health reasons.
Promote Self-Esteem And Self-Respect
Try to promote the self-esteem and self-respect of your daughters, nieces, and sisters in intellectual, athletic, and social activities. Also, provide the boys and girls with the same opportunities and encouragement. Therefore, do not insinuate that females are less important than males. For example by leaving the boys out of housework and childcare. This is because robust and solid self-esteem is perhaps the antidote to disordered eating and dieting.
Help Your Girl Get Healthy Image
https://www.psycom.net/how-to-help-a-child-with-an-eating-disorder/
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